The 2012 NBA season is 15 games old and the Atlanta Hawks are 11-4 and currently in second place in the Eastern Conference trailing only the Chicago Bulls. The Hawks have wins over those same Bulls, the Miami Heat and the Portland Trail Blazers after Wednesday night's 92-89 win at Philips Arena. Atlanta has also taken care of the teams they are supposed to beat on their schedule and of its four losses two came to Chicago and Miami in games that the Hawks could or should have won.
The question is how are they doing it? They are getting All-Star level play from Josh Smith and Joe Johnson as well as significant contributions from other players such as Jeff Teague and Marvin Williams. Also during the off season, Atlanta rebuilt its bench opting for a more veteran approach and while it isn't as explosive as in the past, it now provides a more balanced game to support the starters. The pieces are meshing well together on the court and the results are showing.
It really feels like these guys are starting to get a feel for one another," Larry Drew said. "In the first half felt like we had a good flow with the starters and reserves. A few times in the second half we fell out of rhythm but guys are starting to mesh together. Any combination I put on the floor we seem to have some kind of chemistry. We feel like the players we have brought in complement the players that have been here."
Hawks fans are naturally cautious when it comes to their basketball team but so far this team is passing the test.
For more on this game Hawks fans should head on over to Peachtree Hoops while Blazers fans should check out Blazersedge. For more news and analysis on the NBA be sure to check out SB Nation's NBA Page.